Music transposing rule

ABSTRACT

A music transposing rule having a stationary member with a channel. A slidable member is longitudinally slidable disposed within the channel and has a scale bearing a representation of a musical stave. The stationary member also includes a scale that is divided into an upper spaced section and a lower spaced section both of which also bear a representation of a musical stave.

g United States Patent is CDEFGABCDEF [111 3,867,866 Adams Feb. 25, 1975 MUSIC TRANSPOSING RULE 2,925,750 2/l960 Capps 84/473 Inventor: Frazier Adams, 456 N. g o 3,745,872 7/1973 Hill 84/473 wlchna Kans' 67208 Primary Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin [22] Filed: July 23, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John H. Widdowson [21] Appl. No.: 381,413

[57] ABSTRACT 52 us. Cl. 84/473 A music transposing rule having a Stationary member [51] Int. Cl. G09b 15/02 with a Channel A Slidable member is longitudinally 5 Field f Search 84/470 471, 473, 7 slidable disposed within the channel and has a scale 84/480 bearing a representation of a musical stave. The stationary member also includes a scale that is divided 5 References Cited into an upper spaced section and a lower spaced sec- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion both of which also bear a representation of a mul t 7l8,065 l/l903 Woods 84/473 slca s ave 2,832,252 4/ I958 Gabriel 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DEF P'ATENIEII E 2 I 3 867, 866

sum 1 or 5 woo rm u I II mqil HI I III OIQII III q II II II III III wql IIII oOIIIIIII II III u. I II In III In IIII III I I VFIGQ2 1 MUSIC TRANSPOSING RULE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is related to a music transposing rule. More specifically, this invention provides a music transposing rule that provides a complete range of musical tones which can guide the transposition of music from any one particular instrument to any other instrument.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the art of music it becomes frequently necessary to transpose from one given key to another for a particular transposing instrument. Conventional transposing devices operate with certain difficulties, inconveniences, and losses of time. The prior art devices are also not capable of transposing music from any particular instrument to another. These conventional devices are not only relatively large and difficult to operate, but they also have a high manufacturing cost. Therefore, what is needed and what has been invented by me is a music transposing rule that doesnt include the foregoing deficiencies associated with the prior art, and one which is not taught nor suggested by any of the prior art, either taken singly or in combination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.

The present invention accomplishes its desired objectives by broadly providing a stationary member having a channel, and a slidable member longitudinally slidably disposed within the channel. The stationary member has a first scale divided into an upper spaced section and a lower spaced section that bear a representation of a musical stave. The slidable member has a. second scale which also bears a representation of a musical stave. The first scale comprises a first treble clef scale traversing approximately half of the upper spaced section and a first bass clef scale extending across approximately half of the lower spaced section. The second scale comprises a second bass clef scale and a second treble clef scale longitudinally labeled thereacross in the order stated.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a music transposing rule that is capable of transposing music from any one transposing instrument to another without difficulties, inconveniences, and losses of time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a music transposing rule that is small, easily workable, and capable of being manufactured at a very low cost when compared to prior art devices.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a music transposing rule that is compact and offers a series of intonations corresponding to the complete set of keys provided by a piano.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features which will become apparent as the following description proceeds are obtained by this novel music transposing rule, a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is atop plan view ofthe music transposing rule with all notes in vertical registry;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the transposing rule with all notes in vertical registry;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view in which the slidable member of the music transposing rule is extended and positioned for transposing from the A major scale to the E major scale;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring in detail now to the drawings, wherein similar or like parts of the invention are identified by like reference numerals, a music transposing rule, generally illustrated as 20, has a stationary member 22 which includes a channel 24 wherein a slidable member 26 is longitudinally, slidably disposed. Stationary member 22 has a scale which bears a representation of a musical stave and is divided into an upper spaced section 28 and a lower spaced section 30 which have a treble clef scale, generally illustrated as 32, and a bass clef scale, generally illustrated as 34, respectively. Slidable member 26 includes a scale that also bears a representation of a musical stave that is labeled in order stated with a bass clef scale, generally illustrated as 36, and a treble clef scale, generally illustrated as 38. Treble clef scale 32 and bass clef scale 34 traverse approximately half of upper spaced section 28 and lower spaced section 30, respectively. Bass clef scales 34 and 36 comprise a gamut divided into half steps on the music scale commencing with a middle C 40 and chromatically descending until a natural F 42 of a third lower octave. Half steps on the music scale are represented in this invention as whole tones and semitones. The whole tones are disclosed as blackened note symbols and the semitones are in the position of a sharp on an ascending scale and are disclosed as hollow note symbols. Treble clef scales 32 and 38 also comprise a gamut divided into half steps on the music scale commencing with middle C 40 and chromatically ascending until a natural B 44 of a third upper octave. The identical musical intonations of treble clef scale 32 and treble clef scale 38 are capable of being placed in vertical registry with respect to each other, as disclosed in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 also discloses that when the musical intonations of treble clef scale 32 and 38 are in vertical registry, the like musical intonations of the bass clef scale 36 and 34 are also in vertical registry.

Stationary member 22 has a back 46 with apertures 48 and 50 which are also situated on the bottom of channel 24. Slidable member 26 has a back 52 which is labeled with a treble clef scale commencing with a natural B 54 of a second upper octave and terminating with a natural C 56 of a fifth upper octave. The second upper octave and the fifth upper octave chromatically ascend from middle C 40. Back 52 is also labeled with a bass clef scale which commences with accidental D 58 of a second lower octave and ending with a natural A 60 of a fourth lower octave. The second lower octave and the fourth lower octave chromatically descend from middle C 40. Natural B 54 and the musical intonations ascending to an accidental D 62 of the same octave are in vertical registry with the musical intonations descending from accidental D 58 to a natural B 64 of the same octave.

The gamut of bass clef scale 34 is extended by half steps on the music scale positioned along an edge of aperture 48 commencing with natural F 42 and chromatically descending to natural A 60 of the fourth lower octave. The gamut of treble clef scale 32 is extended by half steps on the music scale positioned along an edge of aperture 50 commencing with natural B. 44 and chromatically ascending until natural C 56 of the fifth upper octave.

When the identical musical intonations of treble clef scales 32 and 38 are in vertical registry, natural A 60 on back 52 and half steps on the music scale chromatically ascending therefrom and ending with natural F 42 are visible through aperture 48 and each musical intonation that is visible therebetween is in vertical registry with each musical intonation between the natural A 60 situated on the edge of aperture 48 and half steps on i the music scale chromatically ascending therefram and ending with natural F 42. Also, when the identical musical intonations on treble clef scales 32 and 38 are in vertical registry, natural C 56 on back 52 of slidable member 26 and half steps ofthe musical scale chromatically descending therefrom and ending with natural B 44 are visible through aperture 50 and each musical intonation thatis visible therebetween is in vertical registry with each musical intonation between natural B 44 located on an edge of aperture 50 and half steps on the music scale chromatically ascending therefrom and ending with natural C 56.

With continuing reference to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 3 and 4, for operation of the invention it will be assumed that the individual using music transposing rule 20 has apiece of music which is written in the key of A major and would like to play it in the key ofE major. By shifting slidable member 26 to the left to position all A naturals thereon in vertical registry with all E naturals on stationary member 22, the user of the transposing rule 20 is now ready to transpose the piece of music to E major. Note by note from slidable member 26 the corresponding bass and/or treble clef scale for the E major can be read on stationary member 22 and recorded on the usual staff lines for writing music. For example, asseen in FIG. 3, the notes of the first lower octave commencing with C natural 40 and chromatically descending in half steps on the music scale until an accidental C 70 when transforming from the scale of A major to E major become the notes beginning with a G natural 72 and chromatically descending in half steps on the music scale until an accidental G 74, respectively. Thus, the notes C natural, B natural, A accidental, A natural, G accidental, G natural, F accidental, F natural, E natural, D accidental, D natural and C accidental in the scale of A major become G natural, F accidental, F natural, E natural, D accidental, D natural, C accidental, C natural, B natural, A accidental, A natural and G accidental, respectively, in the scale of E major. This can also be seen in FIG. 4 which represents the extreme upper and lower musical intonations. This proceedure may apply for transposing music from any given note to another.

When transposing rule 20 is read properly, it will not only visually relate scales of any different pitch, but it will also prove to be a valuable guide to choosing the scale or key that most conveniently fits the mechanics of the new chosen instrument (or voice); The transposing scales of rule 20 are most useful as a reference tool in transposing pre-classical or modern music. In both of these periods, musical tonality is often determined by factors other than formal key signatures, such as modes and/or atonal experimentation. Due to the accidental nature of this music, one often has to transpose from note to note rather than formally from key to key.

While the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof. a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure. and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth.

I claim:

1. A music transposing rule comprising a stationary member having a channel, a slidable member longitudinally slidably disposed within said channel, said stationary member including a first scale divided into an upper spaced section and a lower spaced section, said slidable member including a second scale, said first scale and said second scale bear a representation of a musical stave, said first scale comprises a first treble clef scale traversing approximately half of said upper spaced section and a first bass clef scale extending across approximately half of said lower spaced section, and said second scale comprises a second bass clef scale and a second treble clef scale longitudinally labeled in order stated across said second scale.

2. The music transposing rule of claim l wherein said first treble clef scale and said second treble'clef scale comprise a first gamut divided into half steps on the music scale commencing with a middle C and chromatically ascending until a natural B of a third upper octave.

3. The music transposing rule of claim 2 wherein first bass clef scale and said second bass clef scale comprise a second gamut divided into half steps on the music scale commencing with said middle C and chromatically descending until a naturalF of a third lower octave. I

4. The music transposing rule of claim 3 wherein identical musical intonations of said first treble clef scale and said second treble clef scale are capable of being placed in vertical registry with respect to each other.

5. The music transposing rule of claim 4 wherein like musical intonations of said first bass clef scale and of said second bass clef scale are in vertical registry when the musical intonations of said first treble clef scale and said second treble clef scale are in registry.

6. The music transposing rule of claim 5 wherein said stationary member includes a back with a structure defining at least one first aperture and at least one second aperture, said first and said second apertures being positioned on the bottom of said channel, and said slidable member including a back with an upper treble clef scale commencing with a natural B of a second upper octave and terminating with a natural C of a fifth upper octave, said second upper octave and said fifth upper octave chromatically ascending from said middle C, and a lower bass clef scale commencing with an accidental D of a second lower octave and ending with a natural A of a fourth lower octave, said second lower octave and said fourth lower octave chromatically descending from said middle C, and said natural B of said second upper octave including the musical intonations ascending therefrom are in vertical registry with a natural B of a third lower octave of said lower bass clef scale chromatically descending from said middle C and the musical intonations ascending therefrom. 

1. A music transposing rule comprising a stationary member having a channel, a slidable member longitudinally slidably disposed within said channel, said stationary member including a first scale divided into an upper spaced section and a lower spaced section, said slidable member including a second scale, said first scale and said second scale bear a representation of a musical stave, said first scale comprises a first treble clef scale traversing approximately half of said upper spaced section and a first bass clef scale extending across approximately half of said lower spaced section, and said second scale comprises a second bass clef scale and a second treble clef scale longitudinally labeled in order stated across said second scale.
 2. The music transposing rule of claim 1 wherein said first treble clef scale and said second treble clef scale comprise a first gamut divided into half steps on the music scale commencing with a middle C and chromatically ascending until a natural B of a third upper octave.
 3. The music transposing rule of claim 2 wherein first bass clef scale and said second bass clef scale comprise a second gamut divided into half steps on the music scale commencing with said middle C and chromatically descending until a natural F of a third lower octave.
 4. The music transposing rule of claim 3 wherein identical musical intonations of said first treble clef scale and said second treble clef scale are capable of being placed in vertical registry with respect to each other.
 5. The music transposing rule of claim 4 wherein like musical intonations of said first bass clef scale and of said second bass clef scale are in vertical registry when the musical intonations of said first treble clef scale and said second treble clef scale are in registry.
 6. The music transposing rule of claim 5 wherein said stationary member includes a back with a structure defining at least one first aperture and at least one second aperture, said first and said second apertures being positioned on the bottom of said channel, and said slidable member including a back with an upper treble clef scale commencing with a natural B of a second upper octave and terminating with a natural C of a fifth upper octave, said second upper octave and said fifth upper octave chromatically ascending from said middle C, and a lower bass clef scale commencing with an accidental D of a second lower octave and ending with a natural A of a fourth lower octave, said second lower octave and said fourth lower octave chromatically descending from said middle C, and said natural B of said second upper octave including the musical intonations ascending therefrom are in vertical registry with a natural B of a third lower octave of said lower bass clef scale chromatically descending from said middle C and the musical intonations ascending therefrom. 